Broken Bonds
by Soulofkindness
Summary: "In the novelisation, it is shown that Prescott is jealous of Gremlin Jamface, due to the attention he receives from Gus. Gus responds by telling Prescott that he always felt that he was the stronger of the pair, and thus didn't require the extra help. This could possibly mean that Prescott is Gus' son, and/or Jamface's brother." -Epic Mickey Wiki, Prescott's page
1. Chapter 1

He didn't know what went wrong. What had he done wrong?

The moment Small Pete had said that the chattering teeth had been shoved into the pipes on purpose, Gus had jumped to defend Prescott. There was no way that Prescott, no matter how angry he seemed, did it. The blue-dressed gremlin loved working on the projectors. Why would he sabotage them? Since he was young, Prescott had always loved creating things, Jamface loved repairing them. The two had been great brothers...until Prescott was put in charge of the gag factory, and Jamface put in charge of the projectors after Gremlin Markus was injured in the earthquakes. Gus had assumed Prescott would love his job, creating things that made toons grin and laugh.

Prescott's bitter and sarcastic remark to their visit should have set him off.

 _"Well, well. Now look at who's decided to grace us with his presence!"_

 _I should have known something was wrong!_ Gus couldn't help but blame himself. Peraphs of he had shown as much attention to Prescott as he did Jamface...but Prescott had always been more independent, Jamface always being dependant on everyone. He had noticed Prescott shove what he was tinkering with into a box. Why hadn't he visited more? Why hadn't that raised a red flag? How had Jamface and Prescott, brothers who had been closer than Oswald and Mickey were now at one point, grown so distant? It tore him apart when Prescott had looked angry after Animatronic Goofy said he would use the pumps how Jamface told him to. He must have been angry that his brother had accidentally and indirectly shown him up. At least no more damage had been done to OsTown. Gus was positive that if Mickey had overcharged a pump, more damage would have been done. Prescott was too reckless.

Gus now stared up at his son in disbelief as he sneered down at them. "Oh, if it isn't the snooping duo. And is that Gus with you as well? Oh how perfect!" Prescott eyes were burning with an emotion Gus couldn't pinpoint. Anger? Jealousy? Hatred? "My talents were _wasted_ in the gag factor, wasted by _you,_ Gus!" Gus visibly flinched, eyes widening. So it _was_ his fault! Prescott floated up to the cliff edge. "But now, here, among these discarded relics, the world will finally know my true genius!" And with that, Prescott fled, leaving Gus to urge Mickey to follow him. He couldn't let Prescott do anything he'd regret. So they went back the way they came, only to find Prescott there first. "So, you made it this far. I'm impressed, but you're too late." Gus's stomach dropped at those words. Were they really too late for Prescott? Prescott chuckled, turning partly to the projector. "Follow me, but only if you dare!" And with that, he laughed, jumping into the projector. Doors slammed closed, shutting the projector away from the trio as a beam of light came from the eye above the door, immediately noticing Mickey and Oswald. A beetleworx burst out of the doors in front of them, and the thinner in its canons nearly made Gus sick. Prescott wasn't trying to chase them away, no, he was too smart to think they'd turn back. The paint thinner seemed to scream the fact that if Oswald and Mickey didn't leave, the cost of following Prescott could be death. _Oh, Prescott...what have you done?_ "We need to follow him!" The green gremlin called the brothers from the air. "Let's try and find some way into that float!" Usually, he would just teleport, but there were some places where not even he could teleport in and out of. Unable to fight, Gus watched helplessly as Oswald and Mickey fought the beetleworx. But they weren't foolish enough to waste their time with it, and Mickey rushed to paint in the control panels so Oswald could reprogram them. It was enough to get some of the old float pieces moving again, allowing Mickey and Oswald to try and jump up on the platform when the doors opened. Unluckily, they entered the beam, and the doors slammed closed again. "That pesky eye slammed the door on our faces!" Gus scowled, trying to ignore the claws of dread the dug into him. "How uncivil!" He put a gloved hand on his chin. "If you want to make your way up to that window, you're going to have to do it unseen." The moment Mickey and Oswald jumped down, the doors opened again. "Hm, the doors are open, but how are you going to get past that all-seeing eye?" There was invisible ink, could it work? Double-jumping could make it slide off...but a regular jump...  
 _It may be the only way!  
_ And so, Mickey painted in the things around the well and jumped in, the invisible ink hiding his black fur from sight. Invisible, he jumped up to the platform, unseen, and slipped into the window. Gus took a breath before asking: "Do you want to enter the projector to Prescott's Arena?" Mickey nodded, jumping through the projector. They found themselves in a room made entirely our of metal. Prescott had his back turned to them, working on something. "You know, Abe told me you were coming." He turned around and floated toward them. "I didn't think you could make it through my defenses. But here you are." Knowing it was time to speak up, Gus got closer to him, almost to the end of the room, forcing himself to be stern. "Prescott, stop these games this instant! Why did you sabotage the projectors?" He asked.  
" _Why?"_ Prescott asked angrily and in a shrill voice. Though the tone of his voice remained angry, it went back to being lower. "I can do whatever I want, that's why! My brilliance was wasted at the Gag Factory! You wouldn't even listen to my plan to upgrade the projector!" Gus flinched back, watching him with wide eyes as he floated over to Mickey and Oswald, the mouse grabbed the brush. "With the Brush, no one will ever look down their noses at me again! Behold, my greatest creation!" Prescott laughed again and flew back to the machine, which sparked as what seemed to be a cartoon canon popped out from under the ground. The front of it was, creepily in Gus's opinion, shaped like Mickey's head. Cracks spread from the nozzle-like hole in the front. "I know it looks cute..." _Not in the slightest._ "...but you should probably run in terror, now." Prescott said before flying out of sight and leaving the brothers to fight the machine. Gus's eyes widened as he saw two empty tanks on each side, reminding him of the fight with Petetronic from Mickey's first visit. "Mickey, you need to fill the turret with paint or thinner!" Gus called as Mickey and Oswald ran, trying to avoid the canon. Suddenly. A huge, hot, flaming ball shot at the two, telling Gus that Prescott wasn't playing a game. He was actually trying to hurt them. It tore him apart. Gus nervously watched as Mickey sprayed paint at the turret. After a couple more rocks, the turret turned upwards. "It's recharging!" Oswald exclaimed. "We can get close." Mickey didn't need to be told twice, as he started spraying paint. But this time, when it shot, the ammo was nuclear balls. It shot two before returning to shooting the hot rocks. Watching it was horrible. Knowing that Mickey and Oswald could be _killed_ during the fight was worse. Finally, the fight seemed to end in Prescott's favor. Mickey collapsed, unmoving. Gus was petrified as Oswald ran over to revive him, he pushed the button on his remote, creating a ball of electricity around them and causing the brush to rise up and repaint Mickey, saving him. Then the fight continued.  
It had been too close a call. Gus was losing hope that Prescott could be redeemed. "Mickey, if you fill up the tanks we can end this charade!" Gus reminded him, watching him use the spin attack to knock back the rocks, which hit the turret and allowed Mickey to fill more of the tanks more quickly. This process was repeated until the paint tank was filled completely. Suddenly a podium rose up, giving Oswald the chance to reprogram the turret. But instead of victory, the turret rose up and connected to the nozzle in the middle. "Interesting, the contents of the tanks seem to affect the turret!" Gus noticed, watching as an easier second round went by and the process repeated. "One more time and that thing is toast!" Oswald grinned. A third time, the process was repeated, and finally, Mickey and Oswald won. "Mickey! We did it! We defeated the turret!" Oswald cheered. Gus was filled with triumph...until there was a violent shaking. Suddenly, something opened, allowing Mickey and Oswald to jump out and Gus to teleport after them. Oswald's eyes widened as they backed away, staring at Prescott's creation. They had just hopped out of its head, which had the likeness of Prescott with robotic arms and a castle/tower-like body. "Look! We were in that thing's head all along?" It backed away, then gave a friendly wave. It was then that Prescott sprang up, having teleported outside. "No! This is my revenge and you won't ruin it for me!" Revenge...the word made Gus's stomach twist. Had he really wronged him so badly? "And as for you, you big pile of bolts, remember who your master is!" He kicked its nose with a _bong_. "Ha!" He turned back to the brothers, seeming to ignore that Gus was there. "This is MY creation, not your toy! And now he'll prove it. Attack!" Flames sprouted up behind him as he jumped to the side.  
 _Oh Prescott..._ Gus didn't know what to think. Was he blinded with jealousy and anger? Or was he doing it because of hatred and with a clear mind? Did he realize what he was really doing? Gus prayed he didn't, watching as Mickey and Oswald were thrown into yet another battle. Prescott's machine began to shoot the hot rocks, or fireballs, that was a more appropriate term, again. Gus could hear the clicking and whirring of mechanical parts under the metal plates that Oswald and Mickey stood upon. "I hear machinery under these panels, we've got to break through!" Gus called. Suddenly, Prescott's machine picked up a hot rock(not a fireball, though there looked to be lava streaked through it) and hurled it at Mickey and Oswald. It happened twice before the projectiles damaged the metal panels. "That did the trick!" He called triumphantly. "The projectile damaged the panels!"  
"I'll send you back to Mean Street in a paint can!" Prescott threatened after making an infuriated noise. After a while of knocking back the fireballs with a spin attack, Prescott spoke again, speaking in a pirate voice. "Arrgh, fire the canons, ye bloomin' cockroaches!" Needless to say, Mickey and Oswald didn't look amused, jumping onto the panels whenever the robot would pick up a rock, and jump off before it hit. Finally, a couple panels broke, revealing the familiar outline of parts he knew. "I recognize these gears!" Gus called. "Paint them in and those big doors should close!" He watched Mickey paint them in, but nothing happened. "The gear has no power!" he realized. "Quickly Oswald, use your electricity!" The lucky rabbit nodded, pointing his remote at the panel that had been painted in and pressing the red button to send electricity at it. Mickey hopped over to the middle panel of the far/second row, dodging the rock and destroying the panel, allowing Oswald to use his electricity on the panel that Mickey had immediately painted in. Suddenly, the robot looked behind him. The crane was moving, causing him to cover his head with an arm in fear he'd be hit. When the crane didn't hit him, he turned back to Mickey and Oswald. The process was repeated until all the gears were painted and had power. The large, spiked doors began to close, making the robot look around in confusion. "Huh?" Prescott asked, confused as well. "What's happening? What did you do!?" he demanded. "My masterpiece!" Suddenly he seemed to be spat out. "Noooo!" Gus watched as he landed on the ground with an audible _thud_. He lifted his head, shaking it with a defeated look. Angrily, Oswald and Mickey approached him as he dizzily began to sit up, only stopping when Gus teleported in front of him. "Oh, Prescott." Gus floated up to him, lifting him by his arm to help him sit up. "I never wanted this to happen." Prescott looked at him, before speaking. "I...don't understand..." He pulled away and hunched over. "He told me no one could defeat me..."  
"'He' told you?" Confusion and slight anger flashed through Gus. Anger that someone else had known about this, and instead of leading Prescott towards the light, led him closer to the darkness. "Who are you talking about?" All four looked up at the sound of someone entering through the projector. The Mad Doctor, Big Pete and a beetleworx stood there, followed by Animatronic Daisy and her spatter cameraman. "Daisy Duck here. We're following the Mad Doctor, who is on the trail of the notorious Gremlin Prescott." Gus noticed Prescott pointing at the group. "Maybe now we'll find out Prescott's plans, as well as what the Mad Doctor was recently doing in Ventureland." Prescott quickly backed up as the beetleworx, which Gus now recognized as a hopper, jumped closer. Its eyes flashed, easily putting the gremlin into a state of hypnosis, his jaw dropping open and the Mad Doctor strolled over and began to sing. " _Prescott, dear Prescott. You shall not be forgotten. I will tell your story, of how it all went rotten..."_ He grabbed Prescott's chin and made him nod before moving away a moment. " _What happened to you, gremlin? How'd you meet this day?"_ Prescott's head followed the Mad Doctor as he moved around him. " _Why'd you turn your back on Wasteland? Why'd it end this way?" He's acting like this is a musical, or a game!_ Gus thought, rage boiling up. But he kept it hidden, it wouldn't be good to explode.  
" _I will tell you, all must understand it."_ Prescott sang, probably not in his right mind, as Oswald, Mickey and Gus watched, confused. " _All the things that went so wrong, it was I who planned it."  
"Unfortunate toon, your message I will send." _The Mad Doctor brought the spatter closer. " _Rest and let us be at peace, your evil now will end."_ The Mad Doctor laid him down before he popped up again. " _I know I am a villain-the worst they're speaking of, but please remember this, I only wanted to be loved."_ he flopped down on his back. Gus wasn't sure if that was entirely a lie. Like Oswald's wife, Ortensia, he still didn't trust the Mad Doctor. " _Well dat's dat. I'll take it from here. Let me question him alone and his answers will be clear."_ The large dog toon picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. " _You heard him! He worked alone!_ " _Liar. "His evil met its fate! The Earthquakes are gone! Let's go to Mean Street and celebrate!"  
"What will you do now?"  
"I'm going to build a magnificent attraction! There will be joy in Wasteland, and much satisfaction! There are Beetleworx and Blotworx, battles to be won! Secrets to uncover! There's so much to be done!" _He laughed, jumping into the projector after the reporter and her "cameraman". Oswald and Mickey were quiet a moment before Oswald finally spoke. "I guess Prescott was workin' alone." Mickey frowned, raising an eyebrow. "It seems awfully suspicious to me. Guess we won't know until he wakes up, though." Gus looked away, heading with the brothers to the projector. But instead of hopping in, he teleported to the Gag Factory.  
He had to figure out what went wrong.  
Almost immediately he went over to his desk, looking at the different blueprints and plans. Most of them were for the machine and canon he build, notes on them, etc. About to leave after sorting through them, he froze at the last one. It wasn't a version of the machine or canon, but instead, some sort of project. _This...what is it?_ Shaking his head and shoving it into his pocket, he teleported to City Hall, where the jail was. When he got there, Prescott was talking nonsense with one finger in the air and a grin on his face. "Welcome to the Wonderful World of..." His expression falter, looking as if he were in pain as he mumbled something incoherent, then he giggled. "This portion of the show is brought to you by...hee hee..." Gus sighed, turning away and floating up to Mickey and Oswald with a sad expression. "Did you hear about the new attraction the Mad Doctor's building? He said it'll boost morale." he sighed sadly. "Wish I'd thought of it."  
"Oswald, we have other worries beside the Mad Doctor." Gus said. "While you two were crossing through the underground, I took the time to search though the Gag Factory. I wanted to know why Prescott turned out so..." he cupped his hands together, glancing away. "...so bad..." He pulled out the blueprints. "Digging through the Gag Factory, I found these blueprints. Prescott helped oversee a construction site in Ventureland." He laid out the blue sheet of paper. "He said he was helping the Spatters build homes, but if you look here, you see that it was actually a coverup for something...secret." He glanced around.  
"Okay, that doesn't sound good."  
"Maybe it'll tell us why Prescott broke the projectors. The Mad Doctor did say there were secrets to uncover...so let's go see if he's right."  
From there, they headed to Ventureland, where they were stopped by Daisy and informed that the construction site was closed, spending too much time for Gus's liking there doing tasks to get to the Construction site(this included going to Bog Easy to help Animatronic Donald get to his date with Daisy), Gus was by no means impatient, but he _needed_ closure. He had to know why Prescott was bad.  
He had to know...if Prescott could be redeemed.  
 _Prescott...I'm going to fix this...I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

Prescott groaned, holding his pounding head as he came to, and finding himself in a prison cell. He was confused a moment, before remembering what happened. The fight, Gus's sad expression, the flash of the hopper's eyes. Quickly, the gremlin put two and two together. _He used me...I was so stupid! How could I let myself be a puppet!_ For the first time, guilt rose up in him. How could he? How could he betray Mickey, who had freed him when Telly locked him in a safe, or Oswald, who supported and cared for them, or...or Gus and Jamface, his own family? He remembered Mickey falling to the ground, paint pooling around him. He covered his mouth, eyes wide. "Great Rahl...what did I do?" Should he had still had a heart, it would have stopped at the French voice that spoke. "That's my question...mon frère..." Prescott turned to the bars of the cell, seeing his brother and rival, Jamface. "Why didn't you tell anyone about how unhappy you were?" Jamface demanded with an unreadable expression. "Why did you let yourself be manipulated?" Prescott flinched. Not because Jamface's voice was cold, because it wasn't. Because he could tell that his brother was either struggling _to_ care, or pretending not to care. "Prescott, do you realize what you've done to us? No one notices that Gus is tearing himself apart. He blames _himself."_ Prescott shook his head. "Stupid...why should he blame himself?" he growled, trying to hide his emotions. He didn't know why, Jamface could read him like an open book and he knew it. "Stop acting like you don't care, Prescott!" Jamface exploded. "We have eleven other siblings and you're one of the last ones I have!" Prescott flinched at the reminder. Gremlins were born into nests of twelve males and one female, it was why only twelve percent of Gremlins were fifinella. But even then, the fifinella disappeared after the Thinner disaster, and with them, Jamface and Prescott lost their mother and sister. Not to mention the Thinner disaster had killed quite a few of their brothers, the rest disappearing as well. That left Prescott, Jamface and Gus alone. True, Gus had his brothers, but he had lost his daughter, sister, wife and most of his sons within one week. "Please, Prescott. I don't act like I care, but-"  
"Stop."  
Prescott didn't look at Jamface when he said it. "Just...stop. I don't want to remember them." It was true. He had stopped thinking about them a long time ago. He didn't want to think about them, it would hurt. It was easier to try to forget. He didn't want to feel guilt from the fact that when he _did_ try to remember them, he could no longer put names to their faces. He could feel Jamface's stare on him, he probably felt bewildered and confused. "Why don't you want to remember them!? They're our siblings!" Prescott shook his head. "It hurts less to forget." He said simply, fiddling with the button on his glove. He made it as a way out in case he couldn't back out of the Mad Doctor's plot. Once pushed, the button would send a current of electricity to Prescott and anyone he was touching that could probably be fatal to a Gremlin or small toon. It was a coward's way out, but he had made it with a silent promise that it would only be a last resort. Not like he would use it, anyway. "I...don't understand you. Instead of seeking help, you let your jealousy get the better of you." Jamface mumbled. _Don't act like you don't wish one of the others survived instead of me. You and I stopped caring about each other when Gus made YOU his right-hand Gremlin, don't pretend we didn't._ But, did Prescott really stop caring about Jamface? Surely, he'd be much harsher if he did. _No. He doesn't care about me, and I don't care about him. Why would he care about a_ _ **puppet**_ _anyway?_ He closed his eyes, pulling his knees to his chest. "Why does it even matter to you? You stopped caring a long time ago."  
"Prescott...I never stopped caring..."But Jamface seemed to realize that trying to convince his brother that he didn't care was a lost cause and sighed, teleporting away. Prescott hid his face in his knees. Despite not wanting to remember, he, for a reason he didn't know, allowed himself to be thrown back into the fuzzy memories of the cozy, warm Widget Nest, where he was safe with his brothers and sister, their parents proudly and protectively watching over them.

 _Prescott was pressed against his warm siblings. He could hear talking, though he wouldn't know what the words meant until later in life. "...but you can never tell who's a boy and who's the girl until they're older." The voice of his father was telling someone. He blinked his eyes, watching two black, furry hands reach in and pick up his sister, who had been napping next to him. "Why don't you look for the one with the longest eyelashes and differently colored eyelids?" An amused voice, who he later learned to be Oswald, asked. He watched with a giggle as his father embarrassedly swiped her away. "B-because shut up, that's why." He said, face red. Prescott giggled as Gus sat his sister back down in the nest next to him. He could see his green-dressed mother smile in amusement. Clearly, she'd known the difference all along, but it seemed like the fifinella had a silent oath to never tell their husbands the difference._

 _No! Stop thinking about that, moron!_ Prescott thought angrily to himself. The memory was one of the strongest he had of when he wasn't even a year old. A lot were missing, and most of the memories he did have were fuzzy and difficult to remember. _It should stay that way, too! They're_ ** _gone_** _! The sooner I get it through my head that they aren't coming back, the easier it will be for me to forget!_ His eyes shot open when he realized that the reason the memories hadn't faded completely was because he had some tiny scrap of hope that they were all still alive, and that they would come back. _How could I be so stupid?_ Prescott wondered, angry at himself. He sighed, closing his eyes again. How could he possibly think they were still alive? He had still been very young when the Thinner Disaster happened. It must've been over ten years before Mickey had come into Wasteland again, and no fifinella had returned. Six years had passed since Mickey's last visit. Sixteen years they were gone. Stuck deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the heavy footsteps approaching him until the jingle of keys and the sound of the cell door unlocking brought him back to reality. He looked towards to now open door, seeing Big Bad Pete standing there, and his expression was not friendly. His grin seemed more...evil, than his usual one, and his eyes were menacing as they fell upon him. Immediately, Prescott stood up and back away as the cat approached him, hand out. "Get away from me!" Prescott snapped, slapping his hand away. Pete looked surprised, but he laughed. "Oh, Buddy. You really think you scare me?" He reached for Prescott again, grabbing him this time, his large, white-gloved hand covering his whole body. Prescott struggled in his grip, only for to tighten and make breathing hard. "Stop strugglin'!" he hissed. "Or I'll snap you in two like a twig!"  
Prescott froze, making Pete grin again and loosen his grip so it wasn't hard to breathe. But his face turned threatening. "Try to call for help and I'll squeeze hard enough to rupture your organs and break your rips, _do you understand me?_ " Prescott nodded quickly, not wanting to die so soon. "U-understood!" Pete turned and left the cell, shutting and locking the door behind him. Dread rose up in Prescott as he left City Hall and headed over to the projectors, keeping him hidden from the parade he could see. The dragon blotworx breathing hearts at the crowd, his Prescott Mech waving, and finally, Oswald, Mickey, Gus and the Mad Doctor waving to the crowd. Mickey and Oswald looked a bit banged up, telling Prescott there must have been a fight with the Mad Doctor being redeemed. Pete ignored the crowd and celebration, walking over to the projector to Ventureland, where Small Pete and Pete Pan waited. "Look at all of 'em, all happy and smiling." Big Pete said, eyes darkening. "They won't know what hit 'em!" The three began to laugh with Prescott giving them a terrified look. _I'm so scared...I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Just don't let them include me in this!_ He didn't try to struggle, doubting that Big Pete was bluffing about killing him. It wouldn't be very hard for the large toon. He was one of the strongest, that was why he was in charge of City Hall. Big Pete was the first to jump through the projector, not bothering to be careful. There was no need, it seemed like everyone was at the parade.  
Once all three Petes were through, they began to converse.  
"So where are we headin' for this meeting?" Small Pete asked. "That's easy, the constructin' site. No one goes over there." Pete Pan said with a grin. Big Pete nodded, heading in that direction. Soon enough, they got there, and Big Pete threw Prescott down, knocking the wind out of him. Prescott sat up, scooting away. "What do you want with me!?"  
"Oh nothin' much." Big Pete said with his grin. "Just the knowledge of your first plan with the Mad Doc."  
"What?" Prescott stiffened. _Only me and him are supposed to know! Did he really find out?_ "You 'eard me, Gremlin. Thing is, we want to get out of here. But to do so, we need a heart." Prescott swallowed hard, remembering the original plan: to steal Mickey's heart first. But the Mad Doctor figured out that he needed to be a toon before he could get the heart, and that could most likely be retrieved with the brush, or the Guardians would give him a heart. So the blueprints had been shoved away, only to be used as a last resort. "And that look tells me you know where to find the original plan." Big Pete said. "Why? One heart won't get all three of you out. There's no point!" Prescott pointed out.  
"Ya really think the mouse's friends won't try to find 'im?" Pete Pan asked with a laugh. "Buddy, you're mistaken. Dat Minnie girl loves 'im almost as much as Ortensia loves Oswald. She'll come, and she'll bring his friends." Prescott's breath caught in his throat. _Great Rahl, let him be wrong!_ "And unless ya have a death wish, you're gonna help us." _I can't betray them again. I won't betray them again._ "No." Prescott's voice shook. "No, I will not help you. I won't bet-"  
"Maybe a threat on his old man and brother's lives will convince 'im." Small Pete suggested, making Prescott pale. _No._ Prescott shook his head. "No...no, you wouldn't!" Pete Pan tilted his head. "Or would we? It's your choice, bud." _No, I can't...but...they aren't bluffing. They'll hurt them if I refuse. They...they all hate me anyway, right?_ He sighed. "Fine...fine, I'll...I'll tell you where the blueprints are."  
"That's better! One other thing..." Prescott glared at Big Pete. "You're gonna build 'em." Prescott stiffened. He was hoping they would be stupid enough to just let him go. What he would have done when he was let go was another question all together, he would admit, he didn't know if he would warn Mickey, or stay out of it. "But why me? Why not the Mad Doctor?" Pete Pan crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "From what I 'eard, the Doc is a toon again. The Tints made 'im one." _So chances are he's not going to betray them. And he doesn't have anyone to lose by refusing._ His own thought process caught him by surprise, since when did he give a crap about Jamface and Gus? _It's just Gus that I'm worried about._ He told himself, and actually convincing himself of it. Why would he care about Jamface, when Jamface didn't care about him? "So, where are the blueprints?" Big Pete loomed over him, making Prescott press himself towards the ground. "The Mad Doctor's study is where he put them!" he said, quickly. "Go to his attic, head down the stairs and you'll find yourself in a long hallway with five doors on each side. It's the third door on the left, check his desk!" Big Pete smiled. "Ya 'eard 'im, Pete Pan, best go grab 'em." Pete Pan nodded and walked away. _No wonder everyone hates me, I've betrayed them twice!_ Prescott looked at his feet guiltily. He deserved to die for this, he deserved to be punished.  
 _What have I done?_

"Where ya heading, Gus?"  
The Mad Doctor looked away from the conversation he was having with Oswald about freeing Prescott. After all, it wasn't the gremlin's fault he was being controlled by a dangerous puppeteer. The green gremlin turned, cupping his hands. "I was just going to check on Prescott, make sure he's alright." It was then that Jamface spoke up from nearby, rubbing the snout of the blotworx dragon. "I spoke to him before you got back. He was awake, but didn't really want to talk." _I don't blame him._ Prescott was a smart gremlin, it was why he wanted him to help, and he was smart enough to realize that he was a pawn. The Mad Doctor couldn't help but feel guilty. He had used Prescott's insecurities to his advantage, to convince him onto turning on his family and friends, to convince him that the only one who cared about him was himself. He didn't know Prescott enough to know his reaction, but he felt that it probably wasn't a good one. "Hm, mind if Mick and I tag along?" Oswald asked. The Mad Doctor hesitated while Gus nodded and Oswald went to get his younger brother. "Can...Can I come as well? I need to apologize..." Gus glared at him. _I know, I don't deserve forgiveness, but let me apologize, at least!_ He watched Gus cross his arms, deep in thought before finally nodding. "Yes...you _do_ need to apologize for doing that to him. Do you even realize how badly you must have hurt him? He doesn't have much family left, and you made him think we didn't care!" Gus looked about to explode, making the Mad Doctor flinch. "Hate to interrupt ya, but have any of ya seen the other Petes?" The Mad Doctor looked at Petetronic, who was frowning. "I can't seem to find 'em."  
"I saw Big Pete heading towards the projectors." The Mad Doctor said, a bit confused. "Why?"  
"Just wonderin'." The animatronic version of Pete walked away as Mickey and Oswald walked up. "Okay! Let's check on Prescott!" The mouse said with a goofy looking smile. Gus nodded, heading towards City Hall with the other three following them. But when they got there, a shock awaited them. Prescott wasn't there, he was gone. The Mad Doctor swallowed hard, realizing that he left behind his goggles, convincing him that there was a struggle. "No..." in a moment, Gus teleported into the cell(making the Mad Doctor even more convinced that someone forced him out, due to the fact that if he wanted to, Prescott would have just teleported away), and gingerly lifted the goggles. "Prescott...oh Rahl, what happened?" Gus's grip tightened and he teleported out, eyes dark. "Big Pete, he had to have taken him. We shouldn't have left him alone!" He whipped towards the Mad Doctor. "You! This is your fault! If you didn't lead him towards darkness, this wouldn't be happening!" He stepped back. "No, I..." He went silent, knowing Gus was right. Oswald put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright, we're gonna find him." _Why would Big Pete want Prescott? Unless Prescott knows somethin-_ His eyes went wide. "Hey, Doc, something wrong?"  
"I have to get back to the lab." He said, turning and leaving quickly, leaving the small group to chase after him. He had to make sure the Blueprint was still there. He had to make sure that it wasn't gone. If it was, Mickey would be in grave danger. _Prescott wouldn't betray them again, right? But, if he realizes that Gus and Jamface do love him, and Big Pete threatens their lives, he might betray Wasteland to protect them!_  
And when he reached his Study after a long trek to the closest Projector to his attic, his fears were confirmed. His study was destroyed, papers thrown haphazardly around, drawers open, supplies seemed to be missing. Immediately he looked for the blueprints, only for him to grow more and more panicked when he couldn't find them. "Doc, what's wrong?" Mickey asked as the Mad Doctor flopped down in a chair, a hand over half of his face and his eyes wide. "They're gone...the blueprints are gone." Oswald looked confused. "What's so bad about some missing blueprints, you won't need them, right?" He shook his head. "No, no, Oswald you don't understand." The Mad Doctor looked at him.  
 _"Those are blueprints to a machine that can rip a toon's heart out."_


	3. Chapter 3

Jamface watched Gus leave with Mickey, Oswald and the Mad Doctor before sighed and turning back towards the blotworx dragon. He noticed it, or, rather she,(The two animatronics seemed to have genders, and this one seemed female for some reason) tilted her head in confusion. He waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." But for some reason, he felt something was wrong. It was probably paranoia, but he had felt something wrong with Prescott before. Some called it "sibling's intuition", much like "Mother's intuition" but with siblings, but he called it coincidence. Anyone could have told that something was wrong with Prescott, he acted coldly, sarcastic, etc. He frowned, something did feel...off. _I'll ask Gus about Prescott later._ It appeared, though, like he didn't need to. He watched in confusion as the Mad Doctor ran out of City Hall, looking deeply concerned, with Gus, Mickey and Oswald following, looking confused. "What's wrong with them?" He looked over at his cousin, Markus, whose arm was in a sling. "I don't know...they went to check on Prescott. Is something wrong?" He internally facepalmed at his stupid question, of course something must be wrong if they were in such a rush! "Aren't you going to check on what's wrong?" Markus asked. "I mean, Prescott _is_ your brother, even if you don't get alone." Jamface shook his head. "No, I checked on him once, and he didn't seem to care that I did." He could feel his cousin's gaze on him, but he didn't really care. After all, his brother was willing to try and kill Mickey and Oswald, and perhaps even Gus, should their father had tried to intervene. _So why should I care?_ He wasn't sure why he did in the first place. "Jamface, I know you probably feel betrayed and enraged by his choice..." _No joking._ "But he needs you and Gus more than you can even think right now." Jamface shook his head, frowning. "I doubt that, mon cousin. If he needed me so badly, he wouldn't shove me away." Markus was silent a few moments, before asking: "Do you love your brother?" Jamface looked at him with a shocked face. _Where's this coming from!?_ "Oui..." He replied slowly. "But why-"  
"Then you won't abandon him, no matter how much he tries to shut you out. Jamface, a lot of folks here are against him. The Mad Doctor, sure, he did something bad, but the Guardians found him worthy to be turned into a toon again and he saved Mickey and Oswald. But Prescott didn't do that." Jamface felt an unexpected flash of rage, speaking lowly in a mix of French and English. "Mon frère was a _marionette_ to that _Docteur fou"_ He said the Mad Doctor's name in French, venom dripping from his words and spitting the name out like it tasted bad. "He was falsely led to _obscurité_ instead of _lumière_ by a man who convinced him that he was unloved and uncared for. _Do not_ speak of Prescott lowly while you at the same time give the _bénéfice du doute_ to a man who gained our trust, then shattered it." Along with Gus, Jamface wasn't going to forgive the Mad Doctor so easily. He could understand people doubting his brother. He could even _defend_ those people, Prescott did betray them after all, and that mistrust and doubt was understandable. But someone who compared a puppet to his dangerous puppeteer was unacceptable, even if it was his own family. Markus backed away a moment, looking a bit surprised by his sudden anger. "I said that last part to see if you would defend Prescott...I didn't expect you to get angry." Jamface turned away a moment, letting his rage fade away. "I didn't either. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."  
"Don't be. What came over you was love for your sibling and anger for the person who used him. And even if I don't understand French too well, I could understand at least that you were angry that someone would give the benefit of the doubt to the Mad Doctor." Jamface blinked at his cousin, who smiled. "I don't think I've ever heard you get so overprotective of him." Jamface sighed, shaking his head. "Don't...do that to me again, alright?" Markus's smile faded, replaced by a worried look. "Did I bother you that much?" Jamface opened his mouth to reply before Gus suddenly teleported next to him, eyes wide and worried. Jamface looked at him, before his (metaphorical, since he no longer had one)heart nearly stopped, seeing Prescott's goggles in Gus's clenched fist. "Jamface, something horrible is happening." _Oh please don't tell me this has to do with Prescott! Please, please, let this be about something else! Don't let my bad feeling about Prescott be true!_ "Prescott is missing, and Big Pete, Small Pete and Pete Pan are plotting something." _No! Okay, maybe sibling's intuition is a thing, but that doesn't matter! My brother is in danger!_ Once again, he was surprised by how much he cared. But the idea of his final brother dying scared him, he couldn't lose anymore family. "They're in Ventureland, but we need to hurry." Gus said, seeing the fearful look he had. He grabbed his arm and teleported to where Gus had come from. Jamface looked around. They looked to be in a study, which had the Mad Doctor, Oswald and Mickey inside. Mickey gave him a puzzled look, tilting his head curiously. "Jamface? I thought you hated Prescott." He shook his head, looking at the mouse who had saved them twice now. "No, Prescott and I are brothers. We just don't get along, not after I was put in Markus's place." He explained. "And besides, Jamface has some kind of 'Brother's intuition' or something. He can help find Prescott." Oswald said. _Sibling intuition MAY be a thing, I still think it's coincidence, and unless I know that Prescott is in pain and he turns out to be in pain, I'm not relying solely on that._ It'd be foolish to rely solely on something that he wasn't even sure existed. "Anyway, we should get going to Ventureland. If they get too far ahead, we'll never catch up." Jamface swallowed hard at Oswald's point, knowing he was right. The Petes weren't fast, but with a Gremlin with them, they could be anywhere.

It didn't take long to get to the projector to Ventureland. All they really had to do was go through Autotopia, and with the Blotworx now being friendly, there was no danger. When they got to Ventureland, a lot of foliage was pressed down and pushed to the side. _Well, they aren't smart enough to make it less obvious._ He though, flying over. "I think they went this way." He said, looking at the group. Gus came up next to him and nodded. "I believe so. Not very secretive, are they?" He asked, thinking. "They may be trying to get us to come." The Mad Doctor suggested. Jamface looked at him, blinking. "Oh, hey, you aren't singing for once. Why are you here again?" Oswald sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Don't start. Let's just go." And like the leader he was, he marched onto the path, followed by Mickey, then the Mad Doctor, finally followed by the two gremlins. "We can't fight with him now." Gus put a hand on Jamface's shoulder. "Jamface, I brought you because Prescott needs us more now than ever. _Both_ of us." Jamface shook his head. "Then why would he push us away?"  
"Prescott has always been strong, intelligent. And he learned that he was a puppet, he probably no longer knows his purpose."  
"You didn't answer my question."  
"If you thought you were only good as a puppet, would you let others care about you?"  
Jamface paused. Would he? He had never been in that kind of situation, but Prescott _was_ in that situation. "I...don't know." He admitted, floating over a thorn bush. "But...I'm honestly worried, I can't lose anymore family." Gus nodded understandingly, looking ahead. Jamface appreciated the silence for once, though he wasn't sure why. Jamface watched Mickey and Oswald, who were speaking in hushed tones. He couldn't hear them. _It probably isn't a conversation for my ears._ He thought. Whatever they were saying wasn't his business unless they spoke to him about it. Though, soon the silence made him want to squirm. He wasn't used to the quiet, he was used to the busy Mean Street. "Any leads?" He asked, loud enough for Oswald and Mickey to hear. "Ya worried?" Oswald asked sympathetically. "Uh, yeah." _But I can't stand the quiet for long._ "Sorry, Jamface. Nothing yet." Oswald sighed. "Just trampled foliage." Jamface sighed. _Do "adventures" usually take this long to find a good lead? Prescott, if you die after all this, I'll never forgive you!_

******

Prescott looked over the blueprints with a wide frown. He didn't want to do it, he didn't want to make it. But he really didn't have much of an option at this point. He looked up as Small Pete returned with what seemed to be supplies. "This isn't a good idea." He said flatly, despite knowing it wouldn't change anything. "It's a very bad one." Pete Pan rolled his eyes, and Big Pete scoffed. "Ya think we care? Pete Pan, scout the area for me." The green dressed cat walked away as Prescott crossed his arms grouchily, before realizing that he could teleport away. He hopped in the air, but immediately Big Pete grabbed him, squeezing hard. Prescott's eyes went wide and he struggled, only for his captor's grip to tighten. "Don't even think about it, bub. Cats have fast reflexes, ya know. Next time, I'll break a leg so you _can't_ jump into the air, got it?" Prescott swallowed hard and nodded quickly, flinching away from Big Pete's hot breath. "Despite how hard ya try, you ain't getting out of this. _Don't_ try it again." Prescott nodded again. "S-sorry!" He didn't usually stutter, but being sarcastic or "mean" in this situation would get him hurt. Badly. "Slippery, ain't he?" Small Pete asked, glaring at the gremlin. "Looks like it. But I think I scared 'im enough to not try it again." Big Pete smiled. "Ain't dat right?" Prescott nodded a third time. It didn't take long for Pete Pan to return. "Dere's a river up ahead, couldn't tell if it was paint or water. I think we can wade across, 'dough."  
"Good, it'll slow 'em down."  
"If dey know which path to take." Small Pete looked at the two flattened trails. "Dey may have some problems." _Hopefully not too many..._

 _******_  
 _  
They must've been pretty far ahead, it's already getting dark. How much of a head start did they have?!_ "I think we need to stop for the night and find shelter, before it's too dark to see." Mickey said, frowning. Oswald nodded sadly. "Sorry, Gus, Jamface. But it'll be too dangerous if we try to continue." Gus sighed. "I...suppose you're right." Jamface nodded. He didn't really want to stop for the night, he didn't want the Petes getting too far ahead. _But we don't have much option, do we?_ He sighed, following the group off the trail to find some sort of shelter. _We'll find him. We_...I _won't fail._


	4. Chapter 4

Gus rolled onto his side, feeling soft moss and dried leaves under him instead of his bed. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he noticed sunlight streaming through leaves outside, and the inside of a tree around him. Remembering the night before, he sat up, still exhausted. He supposed it was because it wasn't exactly warm in the tree. They had roamed around, searching for a place to sleep until they could no longer see, and finally Mickey had thinned out the interior of a tree to sleep in. The "beds" they had made were scraps of moss and leaves on the ground, not very comfortable and not at all good for warmth. It was even to the point where Mickey and Oswald, both of which had fur, had curled up with each other to keep warm. He looked around at his sleeping companions. The Mad Doctor had taken off his coat sometime during the night and covered up Jamface, who was curled in a ball. _Maybe he isn't terrible, but I still don't trust him._ He watched the Mad Doctor shift and sit up, stretching. He looked at the sleeping tunes before turning to Gus. "You're already awake?" Gus nodded. "It isn't exactly warm, or comfortable, in here. Not like we had much other option, though." The Mad Doctor nodded, and soon, the others woke up. Jamface was confused when he woke up and the coat fell off him. "What..."  
"You were shivering." The Mad Doctor said. "Well, thanks...I guess." Jamface handed the Mad Doctor his coat, and he put it back on and buttoned it up. "Everyone up?" Oswald asked, looking around at them. Gus nodded, quickly noticing how tired everyone looked. _Sleeping here was uncomfortable, so I'm not surprised._ "We should get going then." Oswald walked out of the tree, followed by the Mad Doctor and Mickey. Gus left last, behind Jamface, watching Mickey hang back to talk with the gremlin. Gus didn't really pay attention to the conversation. No reason to. He remembered what Oswald had said. _"He might betray us again if it means he doesn't get killed."_ It had enraged him, though he knew it was possible. But he didn't want to believe it. He could still remember when family had meant everything to him. He could still remember the French lessons that Jamface, who seemed to naturally pick it up from his mother, gave him and their siblings while he would watch. The cute voices as they sang songs to remember some of the numbers. Jamface would sing the numbers in French, and whichever sibling was with him at the time would repeat in English, then in French. He would praise them, as if he were an older sibling or a tutor(despite them all being the same age), then continue. "Something wrong, Gus? You seem lost in thought." Gus looked over to see that Oswald had put Jamface and Mickey in the lead and hung back to speak with him. "Just remembering some things..." Oswald looked confused a moment, then blinked. "Of when they were kids?" Gus nodded, and Oswald smiled. "Yeah, I remember that. Prescott and Jamface were inseparable back then. I remember that "number song" Jamface would sing. Prescott never got the last notes right." Oswald chuckled, and Gus smiled.  
 _"Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq!"  
"One, two, three, four, five! Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq!"  
"Good! Bon!" Jamface praised, holding the small stick between his two stub-like hands. "Six, sept, huit, neuf, dix!" Prescott grinned. "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Six, sept, huit! Neuf! Dix!" Jamface tilted his head, then repeated: "Huit, neuf, dix!"  
"Huit! Neuf! Dix!"  
"Well, he got the words right, just not the pitch." Oswald said, trying to pry Gus's daughter off his arm. She squealed and giggled. "C'est fun!" She said in, switching from French to English. "Grand frère! Come join me!"  
"Just a minute, sœur, let me finish up Prescott's lesson!"_  
"They were so close back then. Do you think this will be able to repair that bond?" Oswald asked. Gus shrugged. "I'm not sure, Oswald. Sometimes, I doubt anything can repair their bond." Oswald sighed, sticking his hands in his pockets. "You might be right, there." Gus stopped when suddenly the three toons in front of them froze. Gus looked around the Mad Doctor, seeing two paths. "Which way do we go?" Jamface asked in confusion. "Uh, left?" Mickey suggested. "Maybe we split up?" The Mad Doctor suggested. Oswald nodded. "And we return here if we find anything and wait for the others. Jamface, Gus, you check out the left path, Mick, the Doc and I will check out the right path." Gus nodded, Jamface teleporting over onto the left path, followed by Gus. "We'll see you soon." He called, watching his friends(and the Mad Doctor) leave. Gus headed down the left trail with his son by his side, silent while before Jamface spoke. "I heard you talking to Oswald, you still remember all that?" Gus blinked at him, a bit surprised and nodded. "Well, of course! You're my son, why wouldn't I remember?" Jamface was silent, looking at the ground. "Is...something wrong? You can tell me anything, Jamface, I won't get angry." Gus stopped, looking at the younger gremlin, who sighed. "Prescott...admitted he doesn't want to remember the past. He said it hurt too much." Gus sighed, not very surprised. Prescott had always dodged the topic of his mother and siblings. Whenever Gus had mentioned one of them, Prescott would either end the conversation or change the subject. "I'm not surprised. He dodges the topic a lot." Gus said, moving forward again. "Some toons can't handle loss, so they ignore it. It eventually catches up, though. And he'll realize that."  
"I don't think he even cares anymore..."  
"Of course he does, he just hides it. He was always one to hide his emotions as he grew older. You're one of the only ones who could tell when he was hiding his emotions. You got that from your mother, you know." Gus really didn't talk about any of his lost family much, either. But he did like to remember them. Jamface didn't usually talk about them, either. "I'm not even sure where this is coming from, Jamface." Jamface was silent awhile before admitting: "I'm afraid of losing my last sibling. When I told him, he didn't want to talk about or remember them." Gus wasn't too shocked. It would be natural that Jamface wouldn't want to lose any more family. That was one reason he was so upset. He couldn't lose any more family. The two continued in silence for a while, before Gus stopped Jamface. The path led strait to the town at the start of Ventureland. Toons were helping with repairs and it didn't take long to realize that it seemed like the few stores had been ram shacked. Jamface stared at the mess, then looked at Gus. "We need to get back to the others." Gus nodded, turning back and heading back down the path. Oswald, Mickey and the Mad Doctor were already there. "Find anything?" Mickey asked hopefully. Gus nodded. "The path led back to town. What about you three?"  
"We found a river." Oswald's ear twitched. "I think a large toon, like the Petes, could get across, and maybe one the size of the Mad Doctor, but I don't think me or Mick can get across."  
"Jamface and I could teleport you."  
"Maybe...but Mick and I are bigger than Jamface and you, and we can't teleport with you to make to process easier. You've never been able to teleport with us before, either." Gus sighed and nodded, knowing he was right. Besides, he wasn't getting many breaks. Adventures didn't take one day, after all. It was at least three days with the adventure Mickey and Oswald had. None of the three had much rest, and Gus was admittedly tired, tired enough that he stopped floating. He didn't have as much stamina as he used to. _If this continues,_ I'll _have problems getting across the river. "_ Oswald, Gus and I are exhausted. I don't know if we can get across." The Mad Doctor jumped up. "You have to try! For all of Wasteland!" He insisted, looking determined. _Why do I feel like this will take us even more off course?_ Oswald nodded. "If we don't try, they might get too far ahead." Gus looked at Jamface with a feeling of dread. "I don't know, Oswald. Like Mickey said, we're exhausted. Even if we're determined or strong, we might not be able to make it across." Jamface shook his head. "I have to agree with Oswald and the Mad Doctor. They might get too far ahead. I know you're tired, but we can't let them get away." Gus exchanged a worried look with Mickey before the group headed to the river, with Gus walking for once.  
Upon seeing it, Gus was even more worried. The river was fast, and it looked strong. Oswald looked at Mickey. "We'll do it together." He said, a determined look in his eyes. The Mad Doctor walked over to Gus. "If you're too tired to fly, you can grab onto my coat." He offered. Gus politely rejected, and Mickey and Oswald waded in. "Hey! You didn't say it was cold!" Mickey complained. Oswald looked at him, confused. "What, did ya expect me to test it?" The Mad Doctor smiled at the bickering and waded in, followed by Gus. He couldn't help but feel irritated about the fact that he was too tired to fly over it. Or teleport, for that matter. Soon, they were swimming. "H-hey, I think we're being swept away!" Mickey said, panicking. "Don't panic!" Gus warned. Though it was too late. The mouse was being swept into the rapids, and Oswald was unknowingly following him to try and help. "Oswald, wait!" The Mad Doctor protested.  
It all went to heck.  
All four were trapped in the rapids, and Gus was struggling to stay afloat, his head going under the water a couple times. He could see Oswald and Mickey thrashing, coughing and sputtering, struggling to stay afloat. Their black fur was drenched and shined in the sunlight. The Mad Doctor was frantically flailing his arms, his coat seeming to weight him down. Jamface flew over them, eyes wide and panicked before he tried to pull Oswald out, only to be dragged in when Oswald went under. "JAMFACE!" Gus choked as water flooded his mouth, nearly going under. "OZZY!" Mickey went under the water, then popped back up. "OSWALD!" He went under again, and finally he and Jamface resurfaced, Oswald flailing between them and coughing, water dripping from his mouth. Gus looked around at the growing sound of crashing. The already panicked group began to panic more, thrashing, trying to get to the river bank. Not that it would have done anything. Gus nearly choked when he saw Mickey reach out for Oswald before they got to the waterfall. Their fingers barely touched before Mickey was sent over, followed by his brother, and the Mad Doctor. Even if Gus had been able to teleport, he didn't want to. They were in this together.  
Nothing could compare to the terror of falling. Nothing could compare to the feeling of hitting the water, choking and struggling to breathe as it filled his mouth. Nothing could compare to the feeling of his head meeting rock, causing him to black out.


End file.
